Shoes are Essential
by PFTones3482
Summary: Co-written with Fanatic97. Takes place after the episode Gaming the System, while Jeremy and Candace are at the dance. Rated for one word. Blargh. One-shot.


**Hey! So this was co-written with Fanatic97, who gave me the original idea. I thought it would be fun to post after I got back from my trip. Plus, my next chapter isn't done yet for Randy Cunningham...so yeah.**

**We don't own Phineas and Ferb. **

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GENERAL POV

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Candace swayed happily to the music of Love Handel as Jeremy twirled her gracefully around the ballroom floor of the cotillion (It's a word. It means dance!).

It was only as they came off the dance floor and onto the less well-kept floor of the drinks area that Candace realized the problem that had been nagging at the back of her mind ever since she had left her house an hour later.

She wasn't wearing any shoes.

She discovered this, painfully, when her big toe slid onto a large splinter that had been overlooked by whoever took care of the area that she was standing in.

Jeremy, who had gone to get punch for the two of them, didn't hear her little yelp of pain, and Candace was able to quickly sit down on a folding chair and pry the splinter out.

She sighed in relief and tossed the splinter deep into the darkest part of the area she could find. Candace then realized that she couldn't continue dancing without shoes. Not only could she possibly hurt herself again, but Jeremy might notice and then she would be humiliated!

Candace looked around rapidly and grinned.

Many girls just wore their shoes in order to be as tall as their dates or to look "hot." But the shoes were terrible for dancing in unless one knew their way around a pair of heels.

Candace, thanks to two years of ballroom dancing lessons courtesy of her mother, had that skill and could dance in any shoe someone threw at her. Well…maybe not any shoe. She still wasn't quite the roller skater, but that wasn't an issue here.

Quickly, before Jeremy or anyone else saw her, Candace darted over to the shoes, found a pair that looked her size and matched her dress, and ran back over to the folding chair.

She slid her foot into the high heel and smirked. It was exactly the right size!

She would give the shoes back at the end of the night, of course, but for now they would have to do. Candace could only hope that the owner of the shoes would wait until the end to leave.

She stood up in her new shoes, noting, with a slight sense of relief, that they weren't too high, so the height difference would probably go unnoticed by Jeremy.

Speaking of…

"Hey, Candace, I got you that punch," Jeremy said, giving her a smile and handing over the cup. "Sorry it took so long, but there was a huge line."

Candace giggled (quite insanely) and then quickly controlled herself. "It's…it's quite all right. I don't mind waiting for you."

She almost slapped her forehead at the stupid remark, but Jeremy just smiled and sipped at his punch.

The two stood in comfortable silence for a minute or two, drinking their punch, before Jeremy tossed his empty cup into a trash bin and cocked his head at Candace. "Care to dance some more, my lady?" he said goofily, with an over the top bow.

Candace fought to keep herself from squealing and nodded, chucking her cup in the same direction as Jeremy had his (though hers missed the trash can by a mile and beaned a woman in the head).

The two set back out to the dance floor and danced for a good twenty minutes before stopping again after a fast song.

Jeremy was panting and Candace had to admit that she was out of breath as well. The two sank into a couple of chairs and tried their best to stop sounding like dogs.

"So…"Jeremy gasped, glancing at Candace, "do you…want some more…gah…punch?"

Candace tried for a laugh, but it came out like a wheeze. "No…way. Breathe for a…for a minute."

Jeremy nodded in relief and clunked his head against the back of his chair. Candace, meanwhile, leaned down and pulled up the hem of her dress, rubbing her aching feet.

"HEY!"

Candace whipped her head up at the sound of a shrieking girl and looked around in confusion.

A teenager, probably the same age as Candace, was storming over-barefoot-with her boyfriend in tow. Her long ruby hair rivaled Candace's own and her pale brown eyes flashed angrily. Her left hand clutched her dress to keep it from dragging on the ground and her teeth were clenched in anger.

She stomped up and stood in front of Candace, her hands on the hips of her pale blue and white dress. "What the crap do you think you're doing, stealing my shoes?" she said in a shrieking voice that reminded Candace of squealing car tires.

Candace paled, yet at the same time started blushing, because now Jeremy was looking at her in confusion.

"Candace? What-?"

"Candace, is it?" the girl said mockingly in her high pitched voice. "Well, _Candace, _maybe you'd like to take up your idea to steal my four hundred dollar shoes with my boyfriend Marco!"

Candace gulped. "Four…h-hundred dollars? Why the heck would you spend so much money on such…ugly shoes?" she said, slowly rising from her seat and kicking the shoes off, a glare filling her face.

The girl shrieked and raised her perfectly manicured fingers to her mouth in horror. "Oh no! You did NOT just call my shoes ugly!"

Candace smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "You bet your fake tan I did."

The girl stomped her foot in anger, furious that Candace was getting the better of her. "Marco, punch her or something!" she squealed.

Marco looked very uncomfortable. "Sorry, Serena. I don't pick fights with girls. Especially not your fights that you caused."

Candace nodded politely to Marco and Serena yelled in frustration, clenching her fists at her side. "Ugh, sometimes Marco, I swear. You're just as lame as this jerks boyfriend!"

Candace narrowed her eyes slowly, her fingers slowly curling into fists. "What did you just say about my date?" she hissed through clenched teeth.

Jeremy and Marco both winced. "Hey, Candace, it's ok," Jeremy said softly.

Candace scowled. "Oh no it isn't. Girl, prepare to get your wig ripped off!"

Serena actually chuckled, putting her hands on her hips and smirking at Candace. "And just what are you going to do, chickie? Call home and whine to mommy?"

Candace gave an evil smile. "Not this time."

With a shriek, Serena found herself being tackled to the ground, Candace pinning her hands behind her. "Take back what you said about Jeremy!" Candace yelled in her face.

As a reply, Serena spit at her and began pulling on her hair.

As the two fought on the ground, Jeremy started to step forward, but Marco quickly stepped in and held him back, looking a little pale. "Man, you do not want to get in the middle of two teenage girls fighting."

Jeremy hesitated, but against his better judgment decided that Marco was probably right. "Man, I wish girls wouldn't fight over something like their dates," Jeremy mumbled. "I mean, we can take care of ourselves."

Marco chuckled softly. "Dude, I've been trying to break up with Serena for years. She is a bitch. I'm glad your girlfriend is putting her in her place. She's totally getting the best of her."

Jeremy glanced back at the two girls and realized that Marco was right. Candace was beating Serena. But it was at that moment that Jeremy noticed something was really wrong.

Both girls had been clawing at each other and had ended up tearing each other's dresses. While nothing had yet to be revealed, Jeremy noticed that Candace's wardrobe wasn't, well, complete.

Blushing furiously, he strode in and wrapped a hand firmly around Candace's wrist. "Candace. Please, it's over."

Candace heard the pleading in his voice and pulled away quickly, noticing immediately what Jeremy had. Her skirt had been severely torn mostly around the waist on the right side, going halfway around the front.

"Shoot," she muttered, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment and tears filling her eyes.

Before Jeremy could get a word in Candace sprinted from the cotillion, her hands pressed over her eyes and her arm pulling up her torn skirt.

The blonde turned his gaze to Serena, who was still on the ground. Her dress was torn and it had been revealed that, while she didn't have a wig, she did indeed have extensions. She glared at Jeremy with obvious hatred.

"Your girlfriend has some serious problems," she hissed.

Jeremy crossed his arms, a dark scowl replacing his usually calm features. "No. You do."

With that he darted off after Candace, leaving Serena in the mud. She looked up at Marco and huffed a sigh. "Well don't just stand there, stupid! Help me up!"

Marco tapped his chin for a moment. "What's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah."

He leaned over and smirked in her face. "No."

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Jeremy found Candace at the park a block away, sitting on one of the swings and hugging herself, her face teary.

Jeremy paused for a moment and then slid out of his suit jacket, walking over to Candace and gently draping it over her shoulders. As he sat down on the swing next to her, he noticed a towel lying in the bushes, but decided to say nothing.

"Candace," he said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"

Candace shivered with a harsh laugh. "You're kidding, right? Ugh, I'm so humiliated! And you must hate me."

She glanced away and Jeremy winced. He paused and then swung his swing lightly to the side, bumping into hers. "Candace, I couldn't possibly hate you."

Candace looked up with tears in her eyes. "But…it was so embarrassing! I didn't even think…"

Jeremy shook his head with a light chuckle. "Actually, it was amusing. Like, not the fighting part; I really hope you aren't hurt, by the way. But the way you got the better of that girl. Marco told me that she's awful and that you finally put her in her place."

He paused for a long moment, staring out into the darkness and clutching the swing's chain tightly. "But you also stood up for me, Candace," he whispered. "And even though I wish you hadn't gotten in a fight, that means a lot to me. More than anything that…well, may have gone on before we went to the dance."

He looked over at her curiously and she sighed, pulling his jacket around so that it covered the front of her torn dress rather than the back. Jeremy could understand why.

"The dress I'm wearing came out of nowhere," Candace said softly, gripping his coat tightly as if she was afraid it would run away. "I…I wasn't even dressed when you showed up."

She buried her head in her hands, her face flaming red. Jeremy grimaced and pulled out his phone, sending a quick text before he got up off the swing and knelt in front of Candace, gently cupping her chin in his hand.

"Hey, it's ok. I don't care. You're ok, and that's what matters. This doesn't change a thing between us."

Candace's lower lip trembled as she searched his eyes for any hint of a lie. "Really?"

Jeremy nodded. "Really. Now come on. We're meeting Stacy at the corner. She's going to bring you a change of clothes, ok?"

Candace bit her lip and looked down before nodding. It wouldn't be good if she went home with torn clothes and nothing underneath. Her parents would probably suspect the worst.

Jeremy gently pulled her from the swing, wrapping his jacket more tightly around her and keeping a gentle arm around her shoulders.

As they stood at the corner of the road, waiting for Stacy, Candace glanced up and pecked Jeremy on the cheek. He looked at her in surprise and she whipped her head down, looking at the pavement.

"Thanks."

"Come on," Jeremy said. "Let's get you home."

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Candace looked down with a blush, and then up at Jeremy as they walked up the driveway of the Flynn Fletcher house. She was wearing a purple version of her former gown that Stacy's mother had and she was holding her now torn dress in her arms. "I had a nice time tonight Jeremy, even if I did mess up."

Her boyfriend smiled. "That's all right, being around you is always entertaining." They looked at each other and slowly their faces began to get closer to each other. They pushed out their lips and then…

"RUN!"

"LOOK OUT!"

"SWEET MERCIFUL METAPHOR CHEESE!"

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Phineas and Ferb, who were now back in their regular clothing, tore out of the backyard, followed by Buford, Baljeet, and Isabella, who was still in a dress.

"Alright what have you guys done now?" Candace demanded.

The kids hid behind her and Jeremy. "We rebuilt the Digitizer, and well…it had a glitch," Phineas said nervously.

Before Candace could ask for an explanation, TWO giant Buford's exploded out of the backyard, each looking for revenge.

Candace looked at Jeremy for a second and he looked back at her and grinned. "Like I said, never a non-entertaining moment."

Jeremy took her hand with a smile. "Shall we run dearest?"

Candace grinned and squeezed his fingers. "Oh yes Jeremy, you gentleman."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" All of them screamed and took off running down the street with the two Buford's chasing them.

Well they would have, had the giants not been suddenly hit with something and digitized. Perry, behind a bush, held the camera which the kids had forgotten and stared off as the screams faded away.

Perry just shook his head and turned around and set the camera in the backyard, and watched as the kids, Candace and Jeremy made their way back to the house. Jeremy kissed Candace goodnight, and, with a wave, walked off.

Candace stood on the porch holding her torn dress in her hands with a smile on her face, thankful for the change of clothing Stacy had brought.

"Oh Jeremy," she sighed, skipping into the house.

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**Thanks for reading! And thanks again to Fanatic97 for helping me write this!**

**My next chapter of Randy Cunningham will be up by Friday! **

**Review!**


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